Here are some common ceramic terms you will be hearing while in Jingdezhen...

Bisque: pottery that has been fired once but not yet glazed

Clay: A fine-grained, firm earthy material that is plastic when wet and hardens when heated, consisting primarily of hydrated silicates of aluminum and widely used in making bricks, tiles, and pottery.

Kiln: a brick-lined oven used to bake or fire ceramics.

Dragon Kiln: large outdoor kilns that stretch up a hill and look like a dragon used to fire large objects like storage jars

Earthenware:one of the oldest materials used in pottery, fired at low temperatures

Kaolin: Is an essential ingredient in the manufacturing of clay. The name is derived from Chinese: 高陵/高嶺; Pinyin: Gaoling or Kao-ling ("High Hill") referring to Jingdezhen

Glaze:a liquid substance applied to a clay body that when fired fuses to the exterior and makes a hard glassy coating

Greenware: formed ceramic objects that have not yet been fired in a kiln

Fire: The process done in a kiln that heats the clay to a specific temperature in order to bring about a change in durability

Porcelain:is a type of hard semi-translucent ceramic generally fired at a higher temperature. In Jingdezhen the kaolin found in the clay gives the porcelain particular characteristics.